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Sen. Franken: Congress Needs to Find Common Ground

Senate Republicans are hoping to hold a vote on healthcare before July 4th, but gauging the feasibility of that deadline is difficult as the bill’s status and content have been locked up tight behind closed doors, where 13 GOP senators work to hash out a passable bill. It would the first major legislative win of Donald Trump’s young presidency as previous efforts have stalled. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), who sits on the Senate Health Committee, doesn’t think Republicans will make it to the 50 votes they’ll need to pass the bill due to divisions within the Senate GOP. He joins Soledad O’Brien for a discussion on attempts at bipartisanship, progress on healthcare and his calls to investigate the President’s finances.

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Updated: 6:10 PM EDT Jun 9, 2017

Sen. Franken: Congress Needs to Find Common Ground

Senate Republicans are hoping to hold a vote on healthcare before July 4th, but gauging the feasibility of that deadline is difficult as the bill’s status and content have been locked up tight behind closed doors, where 13 GOP senators work to hash out a passable bill. It would the first major legislative win of Donald Trump’s young presidency as previous efforts have stalled. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), who sits on the Senate Health Committee, doesn’t think Republicans will make it to the 50 votes they’ll need to pass the bill due to divisions within the Senate GOP. He joins Soledad O’Brien for a discussion on attempts at bipartisanship, progress on healthcare and his calls to investigate the President’s finances.

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Updated: 6:10 PM EDT Jun 9, 2017

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WEBVTT FOR DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS, THESUMMARY OF THE TRUMPADMINISTRATION'S LEGISLATIVEAGENDA COULD READ -- WELL, THEREIS NO POLICY.LIFE IN THE MINORITY LEAVES THEMWITHOUT MUCH POWER TO YIELD.THEY HAVE A LIMITED TOOLKIT,RESISTANCE, OBSTRUCTION,MESSAGING.SENATOR AL FRANKEN, DEMOCRATFROM MINNESOTA, IS A PRACTICE TOVOICE OF OPPOSITION.HE HAS WRITTEN A NEW BOOK CALLED"AL FRANKEN: GIANT OF THESENATE."IT'S NICE TO HAVE YOUWITH US.TALK TO ME ABOUT THECONVERSATIONS THAT DEMOCRATS AREHAVING PRIVATELY.WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF PEOPLESTEPPED FORWARD AND USE THEWORDS "IMPEACHMENT."IS THAT WHAT DEMOCRATS ARETALKING ABOUT IN ALLSERIOUSNESS?>> WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT INALL SERIOUSNESS IS WE HAVE ASPECIAL PROSECUTOR, BOB MUELLER,WHO EVERYONE HAS CONFIDENCE IN.THIS IS SERIOUS ENOUGH THAT YOUREALLY GO TO WHAT HAPPENED.WHAT ARE THE FACTS?WE ARE CONFIDENT IN THE PROCESS.SOLEDAD: YOU HAVE CALLED FOR ANINVESTIGATION OF THE PRESIDENT'SFINANCES.DO YOU SENSE THAT FROM NOT JUSTTHE BASE BUT FROM AMERICANSACROSS THE BOARD THERE IS ANOUTCRY TO DO THAT?>> I THINK AMERICANS WOULD LIKETO SEE -- WE HAVE THE SPECIALPROSECUTOR LOOK AT AND SEE ANDSUBPOENA HIS TAX RECORDS.THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED THEKREMLIN PLAYBOOK.THE KREMLIN HAS DONE THI BEFOREIN EASTERN EUROPE.THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGSTH DO, AND ONE OF THEM IS TOCOMPROMISE PEOPLE CLOSE TO THEGOVERNMENT.SO OF THAT IS VERY OFTEN BYINVESTING IN THEM, AND IT SEEMSTO ME THAT IF WE LOOK AT THEPRESIDENT'S TAXES, WE WOULDPROBABLY SEE THAT THERE ARERUSSIAN OLIGARCHS WHO HAVEINVESTED IN THE TRUMPENTERPRISES.HIS OWN SON SAID THIS IN 2008,THAT THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY--THAT IT'S A DISPROPORTIONATEAMOUNT OF MONEY THEY ARE GETTINGFROM RUSSIA.THIS IS SOMETHING WE SHOULDKNOW.SOLEDAD: IN YOUR BOOK, YOU WRITEA LOT ABOUT STRATEGIES ABOUTREACHING ACROSS THE AISLE.>> FINDING COMMON GROUND ISREALLY IMPORTANT, AND THEN YOUHOLD YOUR GROUND WHEN YOU CAN'TAGREE ON SOMETHING, BUT THEREARE A WHOLE BUNCH OF ISSUES THATARE NOT PARTISAN>> ISSUES.SOLEDAD: HEALTH CARE, IT DOESN'TEVEN SOUND LIKE YOU GUYS ARE INTHE ROOM.>> WE AREN'T.MITCH MCCONNELL HAS DECIDED THAT13 REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TOWRITE THIS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WILLSUCCEED.HE SAID, IT WILL BE OUR PLAN TOGET TO 5 VOTES, AND I REALLYHATE THE BILL THEY PASSED OUT OFTHE HOUSE.I GO ALL OVER MY STATE.I DID A ROUNDTABLE IN MINNESOTA.A WOMAN WAS CRYING.SHE SAID, MY MOM IS GOING TOLOSE HER HEALTH CARE IF THESEMEDICAID CUTS THROUGH, AND MYHUSBAND AND I BOTH WORK.THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE INMINNESOTA WHO VOTED FOR ME ANDTWO YEARS LATER VOTED FOR TRUMP,AND I THINK THEY ARE BEGINNINGTO SEE IN DIFFERENT WAYS THATDONALD TRUMP IS NOT DOING WHAT ISAID.SOLEDAD: YOU TALKED ABOUT HOPINGFOR THE RESURGENCE OF THEPROGRESSIVE PHILOSOPHY.IS THAT A WAY FORWARD WHEN THECOUNTRY SEEMS MORE DIVIDED THANEVER?>> PAUL WELLSTONE WHO WASSENATOR FROM MINNESOTA, THE SEATI HOLD -- IT WAS ALSO HUMPHRIESSEAT -- SAID, WE ALL DOBETTER WHEN WE ALL DO BETTER,AND THAT IS WHAT WE BELIEVE.THE ECONOMY GROWS FROM THEMIDDLE OUT, NOT FROM THE TOPDOWN.SOLEDAD: YOU USED TO SATIRIZEELECTED OFFICIALS, AND NOW YOUARE THE ELECTED OFFICIAL.I WROTE THE BOOK IN LARGE PARTTO ANSWER THE QUESTION I GETASKED THE MOST, WHICH IS, ISBEING A SENATOR AS MUCH FUN ISWORKING ON "SATURDAY NIGHTLIVE"?THE ANSWER IS, NO!WHY WOULD IT BE?BUT IT'S THE BEST JOB I'VE EVERHAD.IT'S THE BEST JOB I'VE EVER HADBECAUSE I GET TO WORK TO IMPROVEPEOPLE'S LIVES.SOLEDAD: WOULD YOU GO BACK TOCOMEDY?

Sen. Franken: Congress Needs to Find Common Ground

Senate Republicans are hoping to hold a vote on healthcare before July 4th, but gauging the feasibility of that deadline is difficult as the bill’s status and content have been locked up tight behind closed doors, where 13 GOP senators work to hash out a passable bill. It would the first major legislative win of Donald Trump’s young presidency as previous efforts have stalled. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), who sits on the Senate Health Committee, doesn’t think Republicans will make it to the 50 votes they’ll need to pass the bill due to divisions within the Senate GOP. He joins Soledad O’Brien for a discussion on attempts at bipartisanship, progress on healthcare and his calls to investigate the President’s finances.

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Updated: 6:10 PM EDT Jun 9, 2017

Senate Republicans are hoping to hold a vote on healthcare before July 4th, but gauging the feasibility of that deadline is difficult as the bill’s status and content have been locked up tight behind closed doors, where 13 GOP senators work to hash out a passable bill. It would the first major legislative win of Donald Trump’s young presidency as previous efforts have stalled. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), who sits on the Senate Health Committee, doesn’t think Republicans will make it to the 50 votes they’ll need to pass the bill due to divisions within the Senate GOP. He joins Soledad O’Brien for a discussion on attempts at bipartisanship, progress on healthcare and his calls to investigate the President’s finances.